Cover letter mistakes sabotaging your chances of getting hired

Whether you like it or not, your cover letter is the holy grail of any and all job applications. Even if a job application doesn't require that you send a cover letter, it's in your best interest as a motivated candidate to send one. In your quest to charm recruiters, make sure you don't fall prey to these cover letter mistakes.

1. Leaving your cover letter for the last minute

Considering how tough it already is to write a cover letter, throwing it together at the last minute or updating an existing one, is might land you an interview here and there - if you're lucky. Just like executing a brilliant marketing campaign, putting together a great cover letter takes time and dedication. If your brand is well-defined, it'll win interviews, increase your salary potential and put you in a better position to win the hearts of recruiters.

2. Desperate times DON't call for desperate measures

Your cover letter is the best way to show potential employers who you are, what you can bring to the table and most importantly, why they should consider you above all the other candidates. But writing a long, soppy letter about how you feel the world is against you because no one else will hire you, is not going to land you an interview.

Writing things like "I'll boost sales by 200% in the first month you hire me" or "I'll target you, your boss and your mother, if you don't hire me" is taking the wrong approach, and likely to leave recruiters thinking "who's screwed now?" once you land on their blacklists. Rather than telling potential employers how better off they'll be by hiring you, humbly talk about your accomplishments and illustrate what you can do for them.